The sequester marches on

First it was the small stuff: the Blue Angels were scratched from Fleet Week here. Then the social programs withered like Head Start and Meals on Wheels. The flight controller furloughs came and went. Now the cuts are making a minor dent in local security programs with the Coast Guard stopping inspections of Bay Area bridges.

The sequester — a lumpy word for $85 billion in automatic cuts — is showing up everywhere. It’s a reminder of Washington’s failure to cut a deal on taxes-versus-cuts debate. By putting off a deal, the cuts are taking effect, hitting deeper every week.